I don’t like to use the word “boring” in reviews because it’s so subjective, but honestly it’s the only word I can think of to describe my feelings about this book. After the first few pages the prose, writing style, and action became incredibly repetitive and I quickly lost interest. Although I admire Ness for getting creative (kind of) with his Moby Dick reversal where whales hunt the men, there’s nothing else about this that stood out to me. Well, there was the ending and that WEIRD AF reveal (I’m still ?????? about that part) but that was largely because it was the most exciting thing to happen in the whole story. Even the emotions I felt were more because I was sad at the thought of a whale dying in general, but not because it was any of these particular whales or the way Ness had written a death.
I can’t think of anyone I’d recommend this to...maybe if you’re a diehard Moby Dick fan? Or just want a book with...a whale? And lots of talking about whales? Okay, yeah, I really don’t know who this book is suited for. ( )

3.5 Stars

CW: Death of whales and people, some of which are loosely depicted in the drawings

Well Patrick is certainly a remarkable writer!

This is literally an upside down reimagining of Moby Dick. The whales are hunting the elusive human, Toby Wick, and the whale captain's obsession with fulfilling the prophecy of killing him, mirrored that of Ahab's in the original story. The images are darkly beautiful as they follow the path of blood and destruction brought about by the single-minded pursuit of this much feared human. An interesting twist on a classic tale. ( )

The whales of Bathsheba track and hunt human ships. This most recent attack provided leads to track the man, the myth, the monster, and possibly the devil himself. This expedition will forever change the relationship between man and whales.

And the Ocean Was Our Sky is a reverse retelling of Moby Dick, where the whales hunt humans. Patrick Ness illuminates that war is not a monolith. The audiobook is captivating allowing for the reader to be ignorant to the fact that the book was originally a graphic novel. ( )

This book was cool but a little confusing. The second half of the book I got into it more. Haven't read Moby Dick so most connections went over my head. ( )

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone novella that I borrowed on audiobook from the library.

Thoughts: I enjoyed this strange retelling of Moby Dick. It tells the story of Bethesda, an apprentice in a pod of hunters. Bethesda's captain is determined to hunt down and defeat the mythical Toby Wick (who is a human).

It was a fun reversal of roles and I liked how the human world was "The Abyss" to the whales. This was a quick and fun listen. I listened to it on audiobook and enjoyed the narration and pacing.

It is supposed to deliver a message about what makes someone a monster. The message is there but I more enjoyed the strange way this story turned Moby Dick on its head. I enjoyed the thoughtful character of Bethesda and the look into her world in the ocean depths. This was a perfect book for listening to while I did other things around the house.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I enjoyed this. This is a quick read and a fun sort of role reversal re-telling of Moby Dick. I enjoyed listening to this on audiobook while I did chores around the house. Would recommend this if you are looking for an intriguing Moby Dick retelling that is a quick read and well done. ( )